Small and medium-sized personal injury firms are faced with important decisions in adapting to a combination of legal reforms and market pressures, the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) said this week.

The warning came as clinical negligence and personal injury specialist firm Evill & Coleman, which has existed since the 1930s, joined forces with London firm Russell-Cooke.


The combined operation will have 36 personal injury partners based in the Putney offices of Russell-Cooke, which will continue to offer a broad range of other services from wills and trusts to commercial and criminal litigation. The practice will operate under the Russell-Cooke brand following the tie-up.



Russell-Cooke senior partner John Gould said the firm was hoping to benefit from a larger number of lawyers and other staff, while clients would also gain from solicitors with a broad range of skills.



'There can be little doubt that the limited resources available to small niche firms have had an adverse impact on their willingness to take on high-risk personal injury and negligence cases, particularly since the removal of legal aid for personal injury cases,' he said. 'This merger is therefore mutually beneficial.'


An APIL spokeswoman said: 'There is no doubt that it is an extremely difficult time for personal injury firms. The constant reforms and challenges faced by practitioners are bound to instil a degree of uncertainty - particularly in smaller firms.


'It's down to individual firms to make a commercial decision about what is best for business, though, as one glove doesn't necessarily fit all.'


Deborah Blythe, a partner at Evill & Coleman, said: 'This is an exciting time for us. We are looking forward to building on our existing reputation with a set up that allows us to represent our clients in high-profile cases on a much more level playing field.'